Responsible gun owners across Canada can at last rest easier as the Harper government relegates the long-gun registry to compost.

With Royal Assent now in the rear-view mirror and the government preparing to purge the wonky data from its computer servers, there is cause to celebrate. Some gun owners continue to rankle that the government should have deep-sixed Bill C-68 right off the top. But, the push-back from the anti's and their media shills could place the entire pro-firearms discussion in jeopardy. Let's instead recognize that we are the benefactors of the first dead federal registry in the world.

As Bill C-68 emerged from the smoke and mirrors of a previous government 17 years ago, there was already resistance building within the Reform Party. It seems unlikely that we would be here today without the efforts of the dynamic duo of Garry Breitkreuz, M.P. and his parliamentary assistant Dennis Young. Dennis was a local legend for his ability to ferret out damning evidence through hundreds of Access to Information requests over many years. The Breitkreuz - Young team laid the solid foundation that all subsequent advocates would follow, including politicians, firearms lawyers and gun groups.

More recently in Ottawa, Mr. Breitkreuz passed the public relations torch to Candice Hoeppner, M.P., who has done an admirable job of explaining why the registry was introduced as faux gun control by an insincere vote-hungry former government. We also owe a debt of gratitude to Public Safety Ministers Stockwell Day, Peter van Loan and Vic Toews, who moved the file forward by appointing the Firearms Advisory Committee.

Canada's anti-registry cast members are far too numerous to name here. And a great deal of credit lies with the scribes who sent the constant barrage of letters to the editors that gradually educated the Canadian public. Together, we systematically undressed the legion of anti-gun organizations in the best possible way by sticking the the facts. Canadians eventually came to realize that the so-called “gun-control” advocates were telling tales that didn't pass the smell test. Sometimes, if you say something often enough, it still doesn't sound true.

This is the first time in history when Canadians turned up their collective nose at a potent lobby-cum-steamroller that included the United Nations, Coalition for Gun Control, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, RCMP, Canadian Police Association, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Canadian Auto Workers, victims' groups from L'Ecole Polytechnique and Dawson College, Canadian Association of University Women, YWCA, rape crisis centre associations, Michael Moore, the Liberal Party of Canada and their provincial Liberal counterparts, Bloc Quebecois and most NDP M.P.s. This anti-gun behemoth managed to get most of the media on their side, too, but with all their clout they produced scant light, let alone heat. They captured the yellow journalism scribblers, and we were fortunate to be adopted by discerning writers who took the time to research and reason.

Some of the above groups distributed their own media releases in recent days to lament the loss of their precious database. All these years later, we still await their explanation of who the registry actually helps. There have been copious warnings of threats to women, blood in streets and unfettered suicide, yet never a word about how the registry can help as a real preventative tool. One is left to conclude that they, too, have come to realize the registry is useless. They already admit it's insanely expensive, but no proof of efficacy is ever forthcoming. Ironically, they claim they were defeated in this debate by the “gun industry lobbyists.”

Well, responsible gun owners were not nearly as well funded as our detractors. But, we always knew we had the ultimate legislation-piercing arrow in our quiver -- we had the truth.

Since Bill C-19 has been given Royal Assent, the Government of Quebec continues to play legal mind games to seize the portion of the data that pertains to guns within its borders. So far, the CSSA has been the only firearms watchdog to point out that Premier Jean Charest proclaimed the registry a waste of time and money when he was at the helm of the federal Progressive Conservative Party. There are few more blatant examples of vote-begging than a nervous politico who flip-flops to increase his own flagging popularity. Meanwhile, hunters and sport shooters in Quebec are well advised to mobilize and let their MLAs know that they're mad as hell.

Now if they could get rid of that stupid permit we have to buy to bring our shotguns across the border to shoot a round of trap. We used to enjoy running over to Kingston to shoot a round and then go out to the mall, have dinner on front street and take the ferry back to the states.